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Building the bikes of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo [w/video]

We're inching closer to the December 21 release date of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Based on Stieg Larsson's global best-seller, the film looks to be just the kind of gritty perfection you'll need to wash the holiday cheer from your mouth. Bike Exif recently chatted with Justin Kell of Glory Motor Works in Los Angeles, the shop responsible for crafting Lisbeth Salander's bikes used in the film. While the studio wanted the anti-heroine to have a modern motorcycle, Kell pushed to give the character a bike a 20-something could actually afford, creating a wicked late '60s Honda CB350 custom for her instead.

Can we get a round of applause for this gentleman?

Kell and Glory Motor Works whipped up a prototype bike to demonstrate to the studio that an older machine could be just as reliable as its newer counterpart, and after getting the go-ahead, the shop had just 30 days to find and build three identical bikes. The crew sourced three low-mile, original CB350s, then stripped and powder-coated every metal part accordingly. New clutches, brakes, wiring harnesses and fasteners were used on all three machines, and each engine was torn down to its bare innards before being cleaned and reassembled.

In order to handle the rigors of movie life, the bikes were also given larger, sealed batteries along with an upgraded charging and starting system. Head over to Bike Exif for a closer look at the motorcycles themselves, and hit the jump to check out the film's trailer.

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the idea is that it is an old bike. The average moviegoer, myself included, will look at these and think "oh, she drives a well kept older bike"
Motorcycle enthusiasts will see that it is customaized and includes parts that would make it otherwise unaffordable.
still a badass bike

Having ridden my Mom's old '75 CB125 all around the countryside of my hometown as a kid in high school, I totally understand why they went CB350! Downhill, with a tailwind, on a dry day, rolling on smooth pavement @ 13,000 rpm, I only ever hit 60mph on that little bike.

To be honest here: I have more appreciation for that bike now that I'm in my 30's than when I was in my 20's.
I picked up a new Honda CBR929RR off the showroom when I was 20. My insurance company loved me.

Tank and pipes look CL350, a little bit rarer than a CB350. Saw it in the film, looks great but a bit of a big bike for the character to be throwing about- the original supermoto in the books and original film was a bit more convincing, but no way near as cool as this one. Loving the cafe/scrambler hybrid idea.